


Endearing

by ThePerfectVoid



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), First Date, Kaito is an idiot who doesn't realize he's basically on a date and catching feelings, M/M, also That Thing? with Kiyo's character? Not Canon here, never happened, no sir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePerfectVoid/pseuds/ThePerfectVoid
Summary: Kaito think Kiyo is mysterious, so naturally, he's gotta learn more about him - even if it means spending the day together.





	Endearing

**Author's Note:**

> I started shipping this merely as a joke. Look at me now, with an 18-page, fluffy date fic about them both. Proud of me yet, mom?
> 
> Anyway, please let me know if you enjoyed this! I love writing and have been churning out Danganronpa content nonstop for the last couple weeks, so I'll take any motivation to keep going lmao

Kaito could _not_ stop wondering about who the hell Korekiyo Shinguuji really was.

 

His curiosity about Kiyo had started a couple weeks prior, when he’d idly looked over during lunch to see Kiyo seated alone, taking notes and glancing around the room inquisitively, clearing doing some sort of casual field work. Kaito had always found him to be particularly interesting, especially since he knew the least about him, of all their classmates. Being the socialite he was, he always wanted to talk to the people around him and learn about them, but talking to Kiyo was… a much _different_ experience, he’d found. He _did_ give off a rather creepy vibe due to his appearance and his cryptic words and his weird laugh he does sometimes, but Kaito had to admit — he kind of had _fun_ talking with Kiyo. He always learned something new about the world after a conversation with him, and Kiyo always seemed happy to let Kaito ramble about cool space stuff to him.

 

The main problem he’d found, through all this, was that despite all these conversations he’d initiated with Kiyo, Kaito had yet to learn much of anything about Kiyo himself. He’d gotten the other boy to give very small details before — he knows Kiyo has a sister, and that they live alone for whatever reason — but he knew nothing of what Kiyo seemed to like (aside from anthropology) and dislike, what he did for fun, anything that gave him a semblance of what he was like as a person.

 

It only made Kaito _incredibly_ curious about Kiyo.

 

Thus, Kaito managed to get himself to approach Kiyo one day and ask if he would be interested in hanging out sometime. The other seemed mildly surprised by the offer, closing the book he was reading as he packed his things away at the end of their Wednesday class.

 

“Oh? And for what reason are you so eager to spend time with me?” Kiyo had asked him, tilting his head curiously, long hair cascading into his face somewhat.

 

“I just, y’know, never get the chance to talk to you much outside class!” Kaito answered, only just realizing that he really hadn’t considered _why_ it was that he was so interested in hanging out with Kiyo. “So, uh, you got anything going on Saturday?”

 

Kiyo hummed thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, I have to run some errands that day — simple work, but it must be done.”

 

“I can go with you!” Kaito had blurted out, surprising them both equally. Kaito felt his face flush a bit from his sudden nervousness — why the hell was he so _nervous_ all of a sudden? — as he hastily added, “I-I mean, like, it’s kinda boring doing errands by yourself, yeah? Maybe we could, like, go together and make ‘em less boring!”

 

The silence following his proposal was palpable, Kiyo simply staring back at him as Kaito stood awaiting an answer, his hands clenching and unclenching themselves at his sides. Kaito hated only being able to see a small portion of his face due to his mask — it made Kiyo’s expressions so hard to read, especially since he always seemed so cool and collected most of the time. The feeling of looking at Kiyo’s unreadable face made Kaito’s stomach flip with nervousness.

 

Eventually, Kiyo’s eyes crinkled slightly, seemingly a sign of a smile beneath the mask. “Very well, then. I’m not opposed to the thought of company, I suppose. I only hope that you do not find it to be a dull time, considering you rather seem to be a man of excitement and action.”

 

Kaito laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. “Hah, well, I can find fun in little stuff, too. That’s kinda what life’s about, y’know?”

 

Kiyo huffed a quiet laugh in return, retrieving a small notepad from his bag, scribbling something down on a corner and tearing it off the page, handing the slip to Kaito. “You certainly do act according to that sort of creed. Here, my personal number. We can arrange specifics through text later on. Is that alright?”

 

“Yeah, awesome!” Kaito nodded, smiling as he pocketed the scrap of paper. “I’ll text you later, then!”

 

Kiyo gave a soft nod in return, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder before he walked out of the classroom. The small scrap felt strangely heavy in Kaito’s pocket as he gathered his own belongings and made his way home, curious about what Saturday will bring for him.

 

* * *

 

_“sory, runnin a bit late. be there in a minute!”_

 

Kaito quickly sent his hurriedly-typed message and pocketed his phone once again, briskly walking down the sidewalk of the city. He was already running a bit too late for his liking, and he didn’t want to keep Kiyo waiting on him. He had been held up by Shuichi and Maki, who he was going over some training plans with before he checked the time and rushed out the door, quickly explaining that he had made plans with a friend today.

 

They had agreed to meet at the city park, by the large fountain, where they’d then walk to the market, followed by another place nearby that Kiyo said he’d “surprise” Kaito with. Kaito wasn’t sure how to feel about this mystery place on their list, but he was willing to put his trust in Kiyo in order to get to know him better. His usual galaxy-printed jacket flapped freely behind him in the wind as he swiftly rounded a corner, the park finally in his view.

 

Soon, he was walking into the park, having slowed his pace significantly, allowing himself to catch his breath some before meeting with Kiyo. He didn’t want Kiyo to see him all sweaty and out-of-breath and think he’s out of shape or something (even though, he’ll be honest with himself, he _does_ probably need to start taking training more seriously). As he slowed down, he could see the marble fountain in the center of the park, The cool, mild weather had drawn out plenty of people: couples strolling hand-in-hand, families with their young children playing around, and dog-walkers were all scattered around the large park space. As Kaito approached the fountain, he could see a lone figure sitting on a bench next to the fountain, and Kaito felt himself freeze slightly as he recognized Kiyo.

 

Kiyo, it seemed, owned more than just that military-like uniform he sported nearly every day. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, the long black strands falling orderly behind him. He wore a soft-looking turtleneck sweater, a deep maroon color atop the beige pants covering his crossed legs. The trademark mask was still there, which was strangely a comforting sight to Kaito. This Kiyo looked… almost _domestic_ , in a sense, to Kaito; it was such a different aesthetic to what he normally had. There was still some of that mysterious, borderline creepy flair to him, sure, but there was also this element of quiet decorum to his appearance that Kaito couldn’t help but appreciate.

 

Kaito approached the bench to find Kiyo was scribbling in a travel-sized notebook, his hands still bandaged as they normally were.

 

“H-Hey! Sorry I’m late!” Kaito greeted him, still mildly winded from his speedy travel.

 

Kiyo looked up from his notes as he met eyes with the other boy, Kaito only just remembering how intensely _yellow_ Kiyo’s eyes really were. Kaito immediately followed that realization with a thought about why he even noticed that in the _first_ place.

 

“Ah, it’s no great inconvenience to me — you’re alright,” Kiyo affirmed, shutting his notebook and tucking the pen away in the spine before placing the leather-bound journal into the small satchel next to him. “Though I did gather that you were certainly rushing yourself, considering the hasty manner in which you were continually texting me.”

 

Kaito grinned, slightly embarrassed at the comment, and he shrugged. “I just didn’t want you to think I was bailing on ya, y’know?”

 

Kiyo rose from his seat, meaning Kaito now had to look slightly _up_ to talk with him, which made Kaito feel weird. “That’s understandable. Well, shall we be off, then?”

 

Kaito gave him a thumbs-up and a nod, and the two began walking out of the park and down a couple blocks to make their way to the store. Kiyo briefly explained that he only needed a couple items, so this wouldn’t be a particularly strenuous journey. Kaito made small talk with him along the way, chatting idly about anything that came to mind, seeing what he could gauge from Kiyo’s finite amount of reactions. A particular comment seemed to catch Kiyo’s attention, just as they entered the market.

 

“Travellers?” he asked curiously as he grabbed an empty shopping basket, the two of them making their way down an aisle.

 

“Yeah, I’d call both of us travellers, in a sense,” Kaito explained as he watched Kiyo pick up some sort of detergent. “I mean, I’m obviously more of a space explorer and you’re more into looking around at stuff here on Earth, which is still cool!”

 

Kiyo hummed thoughtfully, glancing over at the other as he placed the box into his basket and began walking again. “Interesting that you compare _us_ in that sense when I would certainly peg Rantaro as being a better candidate in that regard, considering his title of Ultimate Adventurer.”

 

“Ah, yeah, I mean, that’s fair,” Kaito shrugged, picking up random things on the shelves and investigating them. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t still be similar in that way, y’know?”

 

Kaito hoped that line of logic would suffice — he just really wanted to find some common ground between the two of them, and he felt that their shared curiosity about the world was a good starting point. It seemed to work fine, considering the rest of their time in the market was spent with both of them giving their respective thoughts about ideal travel and what places they’re most interested in seeing. Kiyo expressed interest about studying the cultural aspects of several South American civilizations, and Kaito excitedly rambled about the idea of being one of the people to help colonize Mars.

 

“—And the thing with Mars’ atmosphere is that it’s just _really_ thin, so things like friction and parachutes can’t exactly slow a spacecraft down like it would on Earth, so that’s another particular issue we’d be facing.” Kaito absentmindedly chattered away, glancing at Kiyo for a moment and pausing before letting out a nervous cough. “Oh, uh, my bad — I kinda took over the conversation for a sec.”

 

Kiyo only chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “You have nothing to apologize for, Kaito — I find your passion for space travel to be incredibly fascinating to bear witness to. It’s admirable… Endearing, even.”

 

The term sent a wave of… _something_ through Kaito, something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He wasn’t usually the type to balk at compliments like that, but it wasn’t like he _disliked_ hearing Kiyo say that of him. He pushed the worry into the back of his mind, quickly distracting himself by focusing on the aisles as they walked past. He felt like he needed something to take his mind off the swelling nerves, so he quickly glanced down an aisle, spotting something that would definitely suffice.

 

Kiyo watched the other boy swiftly abandon him for a moment, returning with a small package in his hands, and he snickered. “I can’t say I’m very surprised to find you to be the type to make impulse purchases.”

 

Kaito fiddled with the box of strawberry Pocky — a strong comfort food for him — and laughed a bit in return. “Yeah, Maki Roll gets on my case all the time about it.”

 

“She certainly is the stern motherly type, despite her best efforts to maintain an air of remote aloofness,” Kiyo commented, bringing his items into the self-checkout area.

 

“Ha, yeah, she’s a tough cookie, but she means well so I ne— _hey!”_ Kaito cut himself off as the box in his hands was deftly swiped by Kiyo, who nonchalantly swiped the barcode before returning the package to Kaito’s still-open hand.

 

Kiyo said nothing as he continued ringing up the last of his items, but Kaito could tell the bastard had a cheeky smile on behind that mask.

 

“Forgive me for my bold intrusion, but I felt it was only fair for me to pay,” Kiyo explained, turning to look briefly at Kaito as he spoke. “Consider it a show of thanks for accompanying me today.”

 

Kaito opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t find any words in his mind. He looked down at the small package, feeling a tinge of color enter his face; the kind gesture was certainly unexpected, and it made Kaito want to unpack Kiyo even more, see what other surprises he could get out of the taller boy.

 

The two left the market, returning to strolling down the street as Kaito opened his Pocky and removed a stick.

 

“Here, at least take one, since you insisted on paying for it,” Kaito held the stick out to Kiyo as they walked.

 

Kiyo looked down at the offered treat, glancing up at Kaito’s face curiously before taking it in his slender hands, the bandaging an odd texture against Kaito’s own hand. “Very well. Thank you, Kaito.”

 

Kaito watched as Kiyo unzipped the front of his mask and slid the Pocky into the open slit. The sight was certainly _strange_ to Kaito, seeing him eat through the mask; however, there was something about watching him eat that Kaito found almost… _cute_ , for lack of a better word in his mind. The word choice made him internally blanch, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the domestic sight of Kiyo dressed down and casually enjoying a stick of Pocky. It was just so abnormal that Kaito felt like he was peering in on a personal moment in time.

 

He found himself really excited to try and pull more of those moments out of Kiyo.

 

“H-Hey, so uh, where exactly are we going now?” Kaito asked, trying to stomach the weird feeling that kept pestering him.

 

Kiyo rezipped his mask and tucked a stray hair behind his ear as they turned a corner and continued walking. “It’s a rather… quaint shop, bearing a very rustic aesthetic, but I believe you will find it has a certain charm to it. I tend to find myself wandering back to it repeatedly for particular findings.”

 

Kaito didn’t like the vagueness of Kiyo’s answer, but he couldn’t help but notice that, despite Kiyo’s normal, level tone of speech, there seemed to be a subtle glimmer of excitement in his eyes. If Kaito was going to get to see, of all things, an _excited_ Korekiyo, he was damn well going to stick with him and see what kind of place he was being led to.

 

Fortunately, the walk wasn’t too much longer, as Kiyo eventually stopped his long strides in front of a small, dark-looking shop at the end of a block. The outside looked to be of a similar build to the rest of the shops on this street, but it carried a strangely heavier air to it when you stepped closer. A dingy bell tinkled above their heads as Kiyo opened the door and stepped in, greeting Kaito with a very surprising sight — the dim, wood-covered room he was in was completely _engulfed_ in what looked like old books. Tall shelves surrounded them, each one overflowing with books. Even the floor had several collected piles of very used-looking literature.

 

“Ah, Korekiyo!” a soft, coarse voice carried across the room, addressing the long-haired boy. “Lovely to see you stop by!”

 

“Oh, good afternoon to you, Ms. Yamamoto,” Kiyo greeted her politely, placing a hand on his chest and dipping forward into a small bow.

 

“And I see you have a new friend with you today — welcome to my little shop, dear,” the old woman, who he now knows as Ms. Yamamoto, gave him a smile and a wave.

 

Kaito smiled in return and gave a soft nod of a hello before Kiyo put a hand on his shoulder and guided him to a particular section. The building appeared much smaller on the outside, Kaito realizes as they start to walk further back through the shop, passing by stack after stack of antique-looking books until Kiyo removed his hand from Kaito’s shoulder (making Kaito force down that weird feeling again) and turned to examine a particular shelf. Looking above Kiyo’s head, Kaito glanced over some of the titles of the books, realizing that many of these in this section seemed to be about anthropology and social sciences.

 

Kiyo was skimming through a row of books, a finger delicately tracing a path along as he read each spine, when he spoke, “Despite its location, this store seems to be rather remote in nature — as I said, I frequent this place in my usual excursions into the city, and yet it always seems to hold this sort of isolated air to it… I find it rather pleasant, myself. It’s rather like being in a liminal space, I feel.”

 

“A what now?” Kaito asked, genuinely curious as he idly glanced around some more, finding himself to be really drawn in by this place the more they hung around.

 

Pulling a book out from a shelf and flipping through a select few pages, Kiyo began explaining. “Well, the term ‘liminal’ itself means ‘relating to a transitional stage’ or ‘occupying a position at both sides’. Most talk of it as a threshold, and indeed, the etymology of liminal comes from the Latin root word ‘limen,’ which means threshold. Liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces, the waiting areas between one point in time and space and the next.”

 

“Often, when humans are in liminal spaces, we have the feeling of just being on the verge of _something_. Liminal spaces are often physical places, such as stairwells, abandoned warehouses, or a school building during a break. In some cases, the same place may be at one time liminal and at other times not. Other places may feel like a liminal space regardless of the time of day or year you visit them. The concept is quite a testament to the human psyche and how easy it is to discomfort it.”

 

Kaito listened intently, completely losing himself in Kiyo’s smooth voice at certain points. Kiyo clearly held a certain passion for studying humanity and what makes people tick, what drives them, what decisions they make, and Kaito couldn’t help but admire passionate people. Even just explaining the term, Kaito could tell Kiyo was enjoying himself as he spoke, his sharp, yellow eyes crinkling at the sides, a sure sign of a smile. The way Kiyo spoke about people was certainly… certainly…

 

“Endearing.”

 

Kiyo looked up from the book in his hands, eyes slightly wider as he raised a brow. “What is?”

 

Kaito fumbled a bit, not realizing he’d begun thinking aloud again. “I-I mean, you, uh, y-you used the word yourself before, yeah? ’S a good word for passionate people, to me, at least. You talk about people and, like, I can tell you’re enjoying yourself, and that’s y’know… that’s cool.”

 

Kiyo stared at him silently in response. Kaito _really_ hated how hard it was to see the expression on his face, especially with such dim lighting. Kiyo brought a hand up to his chest, as if he were trying to grab hold of something, before he quickly glanced at the empty space on his sweater before retracting his hand again. He seemed to subconsciously be reaching to fiddle with the weird pendant thing on his uniform — Kaito noticed that he like to fidget with it a lot, when he’s seemingly deep in thought.

 

Finally, after a long enough break of silence, Kiyo spoke again, his voice still quiet and level. “Ah, well, I do appreciate the sentiment, Kaito. I’m thrilled to know that we both can appreciate the passions of humanity, to varying degrees.”

 

He snapped the book in his hands shut, returning it to the shelf. Kaito felt like he may be projecting, but he seemed to almost catch Kiyo off-guard with that comment. Was he weirded out? Nervous? He certainly seemed flustered by it, but Kaito kind of was, too, when Kiyo had said it.

 

His mind didn’t get to linger on the idea long before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a soft gasp from below him. Looking down, he found Kiyo, kneeling and removing a small, worn-looking book from a lower shelf. He flipped it open and began scanning through it as Kaito lowered himself to one knee and looked at the lower shelves.

 

Truthfully, he became far more invested in watching Kiyo scouring through the book he’d found. Normally, Kiyo’s hair would form a sort of curtain around his lowered gaze when he studied or read, barring his face from any outside lookers; here, with his hair pulled back behind him, Kaito could see the excitement he was hoping to find. Kiyo’s eyes were gleaming with unbridled delight as his fingers danced over each page, quickly surveying the text with cursory glances. The sight was — Kaito cursed at himself mentally for not being able to concoct any other word aside from _endearing_. That’s all he’s been able to think of, ever since Kiyo had first said it, and it was starting to frustrate him.

 

He could hear Kiyo mumbling under his breath, the mask muffling his voice even further so that Kaito could barely understand anything he’d been saying. He did manage to catch a mention of “sister”, at one point, which made him curious about what was going through Kiyo’s head. He was about to ask, but Kiyo rose from his kneeling spot and hugged the book to his chest with an arm.

 

“This was _exactly_ what I had been hoping to find,” Kiyo declared, his voice still lightly tinged with mirth at his find. “It should certainly prove itself useful. Now, since I’ve found what I needed, perhaps we could look in a section that caters more to your area of interest and expertise?”

 

Kaito had no time to react before Kiyo wandered past him, glancing at the labels on the shelves until he stopped in front of another shelf along the back wall. Kaito, trailing behind him, noticed the faded white label of “Science Nonfiction” hanging above the shelf, each shelf given its own respective subcategory. Kaito beamed at the stacks of books he’d never seen before, all littered with information regarding astrophysics, astronomy, exploration theories, and all sorts of things that he was more than familiar with. He quickly began sifting through the shelf, scanning books and flipping them open at random, finding them all to be incredibly interesting.

 

“Holy _shit_ , this place has such a nice collection of space lit!” Kaito spoke with a wide grin as he picked up a book with the word “Cosmos” written across the galaxy-printed front in large, gold letters. “God, this copy looks pretty well-kept — it’s a book on the origin of life, the formation of the universe, the human brain, all kinds of cool stuff! I’ve heard it’s really good, but I’ve never thought to grab a copy.”

 

Kiyo laughed softly, tilting his head down to look more clearly at the book Kaito was so excited about. “How fascinating that our areas of interest seem to carry so much overlap — many of the concepts you’ve described are also commonly looked at through the anthropological lens.”

 

“I dunno — I don’t think it’s _that_ surprising,” Kaito shrugged, flipping through the book as he stood back up. “I mean, we’re both science guys, yeah? Yours is a soft science where mine’s one of the hard sciences, but still! Science is science, and there can always be a sort of overlap of interest.”

 

Kiyo cocked his head, raising an eyebrow almost playfully. “Oh? Then enlighten me: can you give me an overlapping topic between zoology and aerodynamics?”

 

Kaito balked, incredibly unprepared to answer a question like that. His brows furrowed as he delved into deep thought, scraping the far reaches of his brain to try and connect these two things in any way. He couldn’t formulate an answer before he heard a soft sputtering noise. He looked up to see Kiyo snickering, holding the back of a thin, bandaged hand to where his mouth approximately was behind his mask. Kaito couldn’t help but gawk as he witnessed Kiyo burst into a fit of giggles.

 

“M-My… my apologies, Kaito,” Kiyo gasped between breathy chuckles, “I… I simply wasn’t expecting you t… t-to take my question so _seriously_ … You had _quite_ the determined look on your face.”

 

Kaito felt himself flush, partially from the embarrassing moment, partially because he thought Kiyo had a _really nice laugh_.

 

“Oh, uh, heh, y-yeah, well, y’know, I… I-I kinda assumed you were looking for a legit answer on that,” Kaito rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand, looking down at the book in his other. “I never really took you for a person to joke around much, y’know?”

 

Kiyo’s giggling finally subsided as he cleared his throat. “Reasonable. I do apologize for laughing, regardless.”

 

“N-No, no, it’s whatever,” Kaito shot him a lopsided grin and a small shrug. “I’d probably laugh, too.”

 

Kiyo glanced down at the book in Kaito’s hands. “So, then, do you think you’ll purchase this book for yourself?”

 

“Oh, hell yeah!” Kaito affirmed, holding the book in question up. “A nice copy like this that’s, like, half the normal price? I’d be an idiot to pass that up!”

 

Turning to begin walking back to the front of the shop, Kiyo offhandedly commented, “Fair, though I think many of our classmates seem to peg you for the type, regardless of your purchasing habits.”

 

Kaito stood there, watching him begin to walk away, processing the words before realization dawned on his face. “ _Hey!_ I’m _not_ an idiot, though!” Kaito called out, quickly following after Kiyo.

 

Kiyo was already at the front, idly chatting to Ms. Yamamoto, who was asking about how school was going for him. Once Kaito finally caught up and approached the front desk, she looked to him with that same, weathered smile.

 

“Ah, you’re also making a purchase? Excellent! Here, we’ll take care of you first, dearie,” she said, sliding Kaito’s book across the counter to ring it up.

 

Kaito, working off of a sudden impulse he got, took Kiyo’s book and slid it across the counter, as well. “Oh, uh, this one, too, please!”

 

Kiyo whipped his gaze to Kaito with a surprised look on his face, and Kaito merely gave him a nervous grin and a smile. “Hey, you bought me the Pocky, man — figured I oughta pay ya back!”

 

“… Oh,” Kiyo said simply, his eyes still marginally widened with surprise. He shook his head lightly as he continued, “I… did not suggest any need for the gesture to be returned, so I’m simply surprised.”

 

Kaito waved a hand dismissively, opening his wallet and placing his payment on the counter. “Don’t sweat it — it’s only fair, y’know? I’m a man of fairness, after all! Gotta keep stuff even!”

 

A hoarse laugh came from the other side of the desk as a small bag with their two books was placed on the top. “Such a sweet boy you’ve brought in today, Korekiyo! I hope to see you both back soon!”

 

The other two bid her a good day and made their way out of the shop, returning to the streets of the city, now basking in the beginnings of a soft, yellow glow as the afternoon faded into evening.

 

“Say, that place was super cool,” Kaito piped up as they made their way back to the park they’d met up at. “I may have to go back there sometime, see what else they got.”

 

Kiyo’s eyes drifted around the city as he listened, amused, to Kaito’s excitement. “Ms. Yamamoto will certainly welcome you back. Perhaps next time, you can explore the upstairs area.”

 

“Wait, there was _more_ to that place?!” Kaito balked.

 

“Most certainly,” Kiyo chuckled, his hand not carrying his grocery bag beginning to gesture as he spoke. “The downstairs area is dedicated to the nonfiction texts, whereas going upstairs, you would find it filled with fiction works. I have only ventured to the upstairs a few times, however — most of my interest lies in nonfiction work, as you can likely infer.”

 

“Ha, yeah, I had assumed,” Kaito agreed, adjusting the paper bag with their two books in his hand. He made a small hum of realization, then turned to look at the other boy and asked, “Oh hey, by the way, I wanted to ask earlier — is your sister into anthropology, too?”

 

Unbeknownst to Kaito, Kiyo’s grip tightened on the bag in his hand, his long strides briefly interrupted by a nearly-invisible jolt in his step. Kaito had only picked up on the way that Kiyo’s eyes seemed to lose a bit of focus.

 

“For what reason do you ask?” Kiyo asked, his voice normal aside from a mild waver about halfway through the question.

 

Kaito’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Well, you were kinda thinking out loud back in the book store. I heard you mention your sister, I think, so I was curious if you were just thinking, like, she’d like the book, too, or something.”

 

Despite the white noise of the dwindling city life in the background, the silence that fell over the two of them was palpable. It made Kaito grow nervous, worried that he’d overstepped his bounds in his attempt to learn more about Kiyo. The silence growing unbearable, Kaito finally tried to backpedal.

 

“H-Hey, uh, I didn’t mean to, like, ask anything outta line or anything — I-I was just, y’know, curious ab—“

 

“She did enjoy anthropology, actually.”

 

Kaito blinked. “… Oh?”

 

Kiyo brushed more flyaway hairs from his face with a free hand, eyes still trained ahead of them as they finally saw the park within their sights once again. “Yes, though I don’t believe she had nearly the voracity that I hold for it now. She was the one who introduced me to the subject as a whole, in fact.”

 

“Oh, so she’s older?” Kaito asked, suddenly incredibly focused in on this conversation.

 

Kiyo nodded. “She was.”

 

Kaito paled a bit, realizing what he meant. “Oh… Oh, she’s…”

 

“Dead? Yes,” Kiyo confirmed. “Approximately 3 months from now, it will have been 3 years since she passed away.”

 

Kaito immediately felt a ball of regret swell in his stomach. He hadn’t meant for the conversation to turn to something so grim and depressing.

 

“Hey, uh, I’m… sorry for making you talk about something like that,” Kaito apologized, free hand fidgeting relentlessly in his jacket pocket.

 

“What is there to apologize for?” Kiyo asked him, slowing to a stop as they found themselves in front of the park fountain. “Death is merely a part of life — it’s not any good to see its inevitability as something negative or to be feared or shunned from conversation. In fact, speaking of the dead is one of the most common methods of keeping them ‘alive’ in most cultures around the world, through celebrations, or prayer sessions, or simply visiting a gravesite annually. By regularly keeping the deceased in mind, they can never truly be ‘gone’, in that sense.”

 

Kaito only stared in return, hanging on every word of Kiyo’s explanation and contemplating it.

 

Kiyo glanced at the horizon, the sun still continuing to set. “Well, I suppose you’d likely prefer to return h—“

 

“Can you tell me about her?”

 

Kiyo’s gaze returned to Kaito, who was looking at him with a inquisitive expression. “I… What?”

 

“Can you tell me more about her? Your sister, I mean,” Kaito asked again, taking a pause before a smile crossed his face. “I mean, you just said yourself that talking about people who die helps keep ‘em alive, in a sense. And I agree! So what’s the harm?”

 

Kiyo blinked. Kaito could see he was likely having an incredible internal debate with himself, which made him confused. If Kiyo truly felt the way he always claimed to — that death is just another part of life, and that it’s no different than any other topic — then why was he so hesitant to speak about his sister’s death? Maybe he feels that it’s harder with people you’re close with, or maybe he and his sister didn’t get along much?

 

“Very well,” Kiyo said with finality, setting his bag down on the ground next to the bench before taking a seat himself.

 

Kaito followed his example, setting his own bag down on the bench and taking a seat next to him. “Hey, I mean, you don’t _have_ to, y’know.”

 

“No, I…” Kiyo began, pausing to take a breath. “You are right. There is no harm that can come from mere conversation. It is… healthy, to discuss matters like this, many would say.”

 

“Exactly!” Kaito nodded, leaning forward a bit in his seat and looking over at Kiyo intently. “So, tell me whatever about her.”

 

Kiyo held his hands in his lap, twisting his fingers around each other in a strange sort of nervous fidget. He took a few breaths, his eyes seemingly scanning through his own mind as he collected his thoughts and what he wanted to say.

 

“Her name was Miyadera,” Kiyo began quietly, staring at his hands as he spoke. “She was quite the individual — very daring, always had things on her mind she was eager to share. She was just over 4 years my elder, and we were quite good friends with one another before her passing. She was always rather ill, having been born with a very unstable immune system, so she was frequently in and out of the hospital growing up. Because of this, she and I grew to be very close — she lacked many friends due to her illness, so I was the only regularity in her life for quite a few years.”

 

“She eventually caught a very nasty cold, which continue to fester and grow, and eventually developed into pneumonia. The resultant virus was quite unforgiving, and it eventually resulted in her untimely death. Though, I suppose it hardly makes any sense to refer to _any_ death as being ‘untimely’, doesn’t it? All deaths, no matter how early or late, always seem to be ‘untimely’, to most. Death is an unfair reality, in that sense.”

 

A soft huff of laughter escaped Kiyo, and then he continued. “She would likely agree with that sentiment, I think. She was actually the one who influenced a lot of who I am today, you know. You had asked me previously if she also enjoyed anthropology, and the answer is yes, but her interest was more mild. She merely enjoys _learning_ , in its most general sense — and this resulted in her introducing me to the concept of anthropology from a very early age. From there, my love for the subject simply blossomed, greatly thanks to her.”

 

“Even my dressage can be attributed to her, to a degree,” Kiyo said his as he brought a hand to gently touch the front of his mask. “She even created the uniform I wear so frequently, by hand. It had taken her quite a long time due to her low strength and energy and the hospital visits, but she was quite the talented seamstress.”

 

“Is that why you wear it all the time?” Kaito asked, absolutely entranced in this conversation. “As, like, a memorial thing?”

 

Kiyo held his chin in his hand thoughtfully, humming softly. “Perhaps less of a memorial purpose and moreso a means of… appreciating the efforts she put forth in life. To put it more simply, I wear that uniform and invest myself so deeply into my work as a means of showing my thanks for all of the work she put forth to get me to accomplish as much as I have. After all, there has never been someone quite like her in my life before, and there hasn’t been one since.”

 

Kaito listened to his explanation intently, that nagging feeling rising up and lodging itself in the base of his throat. As expected, Kiyo remained perfectly level and calm throughout his monologue, but there was a strange tinge of underlying melancholy in his tone. Kaito couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

 

Kiyo sat up a bit, turning to look at Kaito, bringing a hand up to his own chest. “Now, do not misunderstand me — it’s not as if I feel like my life lacks something as result of her death. Truly, I feel that I’ve been able to grow as a person since coping with the loss, but there were… several negative effects of her passing.”

 

Kiyo’s gaze drifted back out in front of them, shoulders relaxing a bit as he breathed deeply a bit. Kaito waited patiently, expecting some sort of clarification on that final statement. However, Kiyo merely stared ahead at the foliage nearby, his hands returning to fidgeting in his lap. Kaito sat up again, leaning back against the bench, letting his shoulders hang behind it as his gaze flitted upwards at the orange-lit sky.

 

“I did, too, when my parents died.”

 

Kiyo looked over at Kaito, who was staring up with a soft smile. Kaito lifted his arms to drape them over the back of the bench as he gazed at the darkening sky above them.

 

“They died when I was kinda young — I was, like, 12. Car crash during the winter. Some dude was going way too fast down the road and hit an ice patch, knocked their car off the road and into a ditch. I found out later that day and it _hurt_. Dad could be kind of a hardass, and Ma was pretty overbearing in some ways, but they were good people, loved me more than I think I realized at the time. I loved them, too, obviously, but ya kinda overlook that stuff before it’s too late, y’know? Don’t always appreciate what ya got until it’s gone.”

 

“Hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20,” Kiyo chimed in, crossing a leg over the other and folding his hands on top of them. “Was their passing swift?”

 

Kaito shrugged. “Dunno. My grandparents never told me — probably means it wasn’t. But, for as much as they may or may not have suffered, at least they’re at peace now, in Heaven and all that.”

 

Kiyo hummed, tilting his head curiously. “I wasn’t anticipating you to be the type to speak so openly about such a heartbreaking loss.”

 

“I mean, I’m still sad about it, sometimes — how could I _not_ be?” Kaito admitted. “But like… I dunno, I guess I’ve just had enough time to properly cope with it, I guess. I went through a pretty rough time with depression afterward, but my grandparents got me in some good therapy, I adjusted, and now… well, here I am!”

 

Another silence fell over them, this one strangely comfortable to the both of them as they both stared at the now-dim sky, speckles of stars beginning to more prominently pierce the darkness. Kaito brought one of his arms up and fully extended it, tracing a path along the stars with an index finger. His soft smile grew into a grin, his hand freezing in place.

 

“Hey, check it out!” Kaito said, glancing over at Kiyo to get his attention. “See those ones I’m pointing at? Like a jagged line made of, like, 5 really bright stars?”

 

Kiyo’s gaze followed Kaito’s stretched arm upwards, quickly spotting the stars in question. “I do.”

 

“That’s Cassiopeia,” Kaito explained. “You can use it to find the Southern Celestial Pole Star. There’s some Greek legend it’s named after, but I’m not too familiar with it.”

 

“Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus, the Ethiopian king, and the mother of Andromeda,” Kiyo recited from memory, hardly missing a beat. “She would insist that she and her daughter were the most beautiful of the Nereids, the nymph daughters of the sea god Nereus. Poseidon disliked her vanity, and he threatened the lives of their whole country. To appease his anger, Cassiopeia sacrificed her daughter by chaining her to a rock at the sea's edge and left her to be killed by the sea monster, Cetus. Poseidon, however, still felt it pertinent to punish Cassiopeia herself, so he banished her among the stars, chained to a throne in a position that referenced Andromeda's ordeal. The asterism, then, is likely a reference to the shape of the throne she’s chained to.”

 

Kiyo looked back at Kaito, who was staring at him with an impressed grin.

 

“Man, you know a _lot_ of shit,” Kaito commented, dropping his arm back down and sitting up straight again. His smile dropped a bit, and he hastily added, “I-I mean, like, it’s really cool that you know so much. Blows my mind, honestly.”

 

Kiyo chuckled, staring back up at the sky. “Perhaps, but _you_ are quite a wealth of knowledge yourself, are you not?”

 

Kaito crossed his arms, shrugging. “I mean, everyone else likes to give me shit and call me an idiot, but I know my shit when it comes to science and space. That’s about it, though — you’ve got a lot more under your belt. You seem to know damn near _everything_.”

 

“It would be vain and inaccurate for me to say I possess knowledge of _all_ things,” Kiyo reasoned, his legs uncrossing and recrossing in the opposite order, “but I _will_ say I do have a rather high intellect, compared to some.”

 

Kaito huffed a laugh. “Yeah, like me, for instance.”

 

“Not necessarily,” Kiyo argued, looking back at Kaito. “I believe you certainly wield a greater understanding of the hard sciences than I do — that is certainly something you, specifically, have over me. You also seem more enlightened as to handling social interaction and the science of charisma.”

 

Kaito flushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck and looking back at the stars. “Hah, I mean, I dunno if I'd say that me being good at talking to people is necessarily something I’m ‘smart’ about.”

 

Kiyo shrugged, also returning to staring at the stars. “I would.”

 

The following silence was much longer than their others, only briefly interrupted every now and then by Kaito pointing out another star or constellation, followed by the occasional mythos behind the name. They were comfortable, simply basking in their solitude as the park emptied of the last patron several minutes prior, leaving the two alone to gaze above and around, the sky littered with faint specks of starlight, only barely washed out by the city lights from below.

 

Kaito was a man of impulse, and seeing as how his latest impulse seemed to be putting a hand over Kiyo’s beside him as he rambled about another star cluster he saw, Kaito was beginning to really dislike being so impulsive. Kaito refused to stop talking or look back at Kiyo in fear of what would happen if he did. Fortunately, Kiyo didn’t seem to mind; he made no move to pull away, nor did he vocalize any discomfort. In fact, when Kiyo finally responded to his latest find with more mythos talk, Kaito looked back at him to find that Kiyo seemed to be smiling to himself, judging by the way his eyes were slightly crinkled and narrowed.

 

The sight, combined with the feeling of Kiyo’s bandaged hand wrapped in his own, made Kaito’s head spin, that annoying feeling he keeps dealing with completely taking over his body in full force. He could feel the warmth that must be radiating off his face as he listened to Kiyo speak, silently appreciating this moment they’re having together. Kaito didn’t expect to learn so much about Kiyo, let alone experience such a pleasant time together.

 

Eventually, Kaito felt his phone vibrate in his pocket — a glance at the screen told him his grandmother was calling. He pressed the “Answer Call” button and brought it to his ear.

 

“Hi, Nana!” Kaito greeted her cheerfully, bringing a smile to Kiyo’s face. “Hm? … Oh! Yeah, I’m just out in the city with a friend right now! … What? It’s not—“

 

Kaito glanced at his phone screen, suddenly very aware of how late it was. “ _OH!_ Whoops, you’re right … Aha, thanks, Nana, I know… I will! I’m gonna walk them back home now, alright? Don’t worry… Okay. Okay I’ll be sure to call you tomorrow, then! Love you!”

 

Kaito hung up, grabbed the bag with the books, then rose from the bench, turning back to look at a surprised Kiyo. “Well? You comin’?”

 

Kiyo stared for only a moment before he laughed softly, uncrossing his legs and standing gracefully, grocery bag in hand. “How gracious of you to offer to walk me home, Mr. Momota. Quite the gentlemanly thing to do at the end of a date like this, despite the fact we live in the same dormitory.”

 

“Heh, well, it’s the thought that counts, yeah?” Kaito joked as they began walking. A moment passed before the rest of Kiyo’s words clicked in Kaito’s mind, and he suddenly froze. “W-Wait, _date_?!”

 

Kiyo looked at him, cocking his head. “Oh? Have I misunderstood your intentions?”

 

Kaito’s hands fumbled around in front of him as he tried to piece together what he wanted to say. “I-I mean, I, uh… I didn’t — This, uh —“

 

“My only comment, then, is that I did not take you for the type to be so touch-receptive,” Kiyo added, shifting his weight to one leg. “You struck me more the type to be wary of casual touchiness between non-romantic interests.”

 

Kaito balked, mouth opening and closing again as the wheels in his head spun rapidly, trying to think of what he wanted to say. He could only stare helplessly at Kiyo, at his mysterious mask that meant a lot more than he ever expected, at the long black hair that cascaded down his back, at his piercing yellow eyes that gave more away than he’d realized.

He stared at them as he whispered, more to himself than anything, “Maybe this _was_ a date.”

 

Saying it aloud made it all the more obvious to Kaito — there was so much romantically-coded content all throughout their day together, so many thoughts, glances, _touches_ — Kaito’s mind reeled, his head still dizzy with that feeling he kept having.

 

“Is that a realization you’re only just now reaching?” Kiyo asked, somewhat bemused at the way Kaito seemed to be scrambling to understand his own emotions. “I admit, it’s rather endearing to witness, Kaito.”

 

Kaito felt himself flush deeply, rubbing his neck sheepishly with his free hand as his eyes darted around. “Aha, well, uh, thanks.”

 

A beat, then Kaito coughed awkwardly, extending his arm out to Kiyo. “Then, uh, then I guess we oughta get going, yeah?”

 

Kiyo looked down at the offered hand, his own free hand up at his chest, fidgeting with the collar of his sweater. He met Kaito’s gaze, and Kaito could swear the other’s eyes were practically _glowing_ in the evening darkness. Soon, Kaito could see the tell-tale signs of a smile emerging beneath the mask.

 

Taking the offered hand in his own, Kiyo nodded. “Let us be off, then.”

 

The two walked, hand-in-hand, out of the hub of the city and through the streets, Kiyo somewhat guiding them as they made their way back to the school dormitories. The walk was filled with idle conversations about formations of the universe and their respective takes on the matter. Despite the chilly night air and the bandaging around Kiyo’s hand, Kaito could still feel the warmth emanating from the slender palm of the other, a strange comfort washing over him at the feeling.

 

Soon, they were home, back in the dorms. Kaito stood with Kiyo in front of the door to his room, hands still clasped.

“Hey, thanks for letting me bug ya and come out with you today,” Kaito said giving Kiyo a bright smile.

 

Kiyo nodded softly in return, unclasping their hands and reaching into the bag with their books, pulling out Kaito’s and handing it to him. “I believe that _I_ am the one who must thank _you_ , Kaito. This excursion was certainly something I truly think I needed — experiencing human beauty is a greatly different experience up close, even moreso with someone so captivating.”

 

Kaito laughed, waving a hand dismissively. “I dunno about _captivating_ , but I appreciate the compliment anyway!” His smile eased a bit before he continued. “I mean, between the two of us, you’re probably the more captivating guy — _I mean, like, uh, like to talk to, and all that, y’know?”_

 

Kiyo couldn’t help but giggle at how quickly Kaito attempted to backpedal and clarify himself. He reached into his bag, pulling out his dorm room key and inserting it into the door as he spoke, “Well, I really _must_ thank you for your kind words. Now, it seems we ought to get some rest. Tomorrow will be upon us soon.”

 

Kaito nodded, gripping his book in one hand as he gave Kiyo a thumbs-up with the other. “Sounds good! Goodnight, Kiyo.”

 

Kaito could tell he was being smiled back at as Kiyo opened his door. “Goodnight to you, too, Kaito.”

 

The door shut, and Kaito let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. He made his way down the hall and entered his own room, shutting the door and leaning his back against the cool wood. He held the book he’d bought in both his hands, staring down at the lightly-worn cover with a smile, head swimming pleasantly with that same feeling he’d been all day.

 

He hated not having a word for it for so long, but now, as he placed the book on his desk and crawled into bed, he had one, and Kiyo had kindly given it to him: _Endearment_.


End file.
